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Cold Weather Now Can Mean High Utility Bills Later
With every weather forecast calling for bitterly cold temperatures in Acadiana
over the next few days, take time now to minimize the effect the weather will
have on your utility bills next month.
“Everything we recommend to our customers in the summer
to lower their cooling bills, we recommend the opposite in the winter,” explains
SLEMCO Communication Manager Mary Laurent.
“Layer your clothing and dress warmly, even inside. Thick socks
or slippers can go a long way in keeping a chill from creeping into your bones. Watch
television with blankets and prepare hot meals, like soup, gumbo or stew that
will keep your body temperature up a bit. Since the worst part
of the extreme cold is predicted to hit Acadiana over the weekend, it will
be a great time to hibernate with your family, a good book or a good movie.”
And above all, keep your heating thermostat set as low as possible—preferably
no higher than 68 degrees. Your utility bill is likely to be a
bit more anyway, but you can minimize the increase by setting your thermostat
only as high as absolutely needed.
Back in 1989, when temperatures here got down to nine degrees, while all utility
bills went up, many families received heating bills that were twice as high
as in milder years. Some bills tripled in size. The costs were
dependent on the efficiency of the heating equipment and on how high the thermostat
was set. While temperatures this weekend won’t get anywhere near
as low as nine degrees, it makes sense to minimize the cost increases.
Closing off unused rooms and their vents can concentrate heat in the areas
where you and your family will need it most. Using your fireplace
in the living area of the home, while setting the heater lower for the rest
of the house is another suggestion.
Setting your thermostat down even lower during the night, while you are under
the covers will help too. When you get up, turn it up just enough to
get the chill out of the air.
If your home gets lots of sunlight, open the curtains and let the sun warm
up your house. Don’t, however, use the oven or stove burners to
try and heat up a home. This is both a safety hazard and a very poor
use of energy.
When plotting your energy conservation plans for this weekend, keep in mind
that infants and the elderly may need more heat in their homes. And use
common sense in all your efforts. It won’t help financial matters
if you have succeeded in lowering your utility bills only to have higher doctor
bills.
1/6/10
For more information, contact SLEMCO's Mary Laurent at 337-896-2520.
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